


Numbness, Pain, And A Cure For Both

by ProfoundCranium



Series: Molly's Toy Shop [1]
Category: Epithet Erased (Cartoon)
Genre: Bedtime Snuggles, Epithets, Followed by happy times, Gen, General sad times, Molly needs her Mom ya'll, Nudity, Panic Attacks, Responsible Twelve Year Olds, Slight Violence, retail hell, toy shop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:02:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22314493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProfoundCranium/pseuds/ProfoundCranium
Summary: Molly hated the Night Shift.But just this once, the Night Shift gave her something to deal with that wasn't an annoyed Parent looking for a plushy at 2:00 AM in the morning.Now it was just a smug girl that had a serious problem with keeping her bones intact.And this person doubled as a friend.So that's nice.
Relationships: Molly Blyndeff & Mera Salamin
Series: Molly's Toy Shop [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1606165
Comments: 9
Kudos: 73





	Numbness, Pain, And A Cure For Both

  
The shop was always quiet at night.  
  
It was a trend that Molly noticed quickly when she actually took up charge of the Toy Store. Sure, every now and then the random straggler would come in looking for the rare toy scooter, figurine, or plushy in a rushed emergency, child usually in hand. But for the most part, the store was empty.  
  
This meant that the Night Shift was fairly boring. This wasn't a bad thing! Molly actually preferred the Night Shift to the Day Shift. The quiet was relaxing, and frankly, it gave her time to finish other important task. And that said plenty didn't it? That time that SHOULD be relegated to sleep, or fun. Was instead utilized to finish paperwork, homework, and various other tasks that should NOT be as hard as they were.

Like showering. Which Molly was finding was actually harder to care enough to do. But she ALWAYS found that time. This Job had taken enough from her. Basic hygiene was something the short girl refused to give up.  
  
"Shouldn't have bad thoughts like that."

Molly spoke, sounding way less convinced then she was actually going for. The empty store didn't bother responding to her words of woe, instead remaining quiet and practically dead. The only sound to greet her being the occasional breeze from the air vents. And this is how it always was.  
  
Molly, sitting on her stool, watching over a desk while trying her hardest not to pass out. Her Father, being elsewhere. Most likely out at a bar. And her sister, out with her friends.  
  
Molly rarely asked herself why everything was like this. Why THEY got to be irresponsible, while Molly, the Child had to carry the family. More then once she felt the urge to throw it all away. To simply give up. So why did she continue? Well, the reason was not one to be proud of. It was vindictive in a way. Molly simply knew herself to be better. She had to be. If the Adults couldn't handle it, and SHE did? She was better right?  
  
So, when something finally changed, she could show off what she had done, and people would KNOW that she was the one that carried the family.  
  
She would be a good little girl.  
  
It was a selfish desire. But at least it was one.  
  
Molly hopped down from her stool, looking and sounding tired as she did an hourly patrol. To double check toys and make sure that everything was in place. She already knew where everything was, and these little trips serviced her more to keep her awake rather then for any REAL reason. But hey, anything to keep this cycle going.  
  
Molly spent several minutes walking an aimless loop around the shop. She half heartedly counted and stocked toys. After what must have been roughly ten minutes, Molly stopped at the front of the shop, right in front of the glass doors as she stared at a particular shelf.  
  
Bears.

Toy bears.  
  
Plushies, plastic figures, containers, candy.  
  
All made by Mama.  
  
Mama designed most of the shop actually. And the bears weren't supposed to be the main attraction. But… after she passed, Molly shifted everything around. She kept most of it more or less the same. But the Bears took center stage. Because… because they were her favorite. Molly's own, and Mama's. They both loved bears. More then a lot of things. And Molly wanted EVERYONE to see just what her Mama had worked on. What she had created.  
  
But it was more then that.  
  
Molly just wanted her Mother to be close again. She reached down, grasping the edges of her Bear hoodie tightly as she stared at the bears in front of her, tears rushing to her eyes as she tried to keep it together. Her Mother was dead… gone. But… also not. It was a confusing sort of pain. Most days, Molly was too rushed and tired to cry. She ran out of tears long ago. But then nights like tonight would happen where she would find that she still had some tears left in the tank.  
  
"I… I… I hate you."

It was a hushed admission. One that Molly almost never said. What exactly did she hate? She had no idea. She hated that her Mom was dead. She hated her Father. She hated her Sister. She hated the Neighborhood for not noticing what was going on here. She hated this dumb shop. And she wanted nothing more then to burn it down a second time.  
  
But therein lies the challenge. This shop was the last memory she had of her Mama. And if she burned it down, what more did she have? She hated this shop. So much that her hands were shaking with the need to scatter the toys across the floor.  
  
But it wasn't worth it.  
  
Molly gasped and whimpered, eyes shut tightly as she tried to keep it together. She couldn't break or destroy. She had to be a good little girl.  
  
Keep it together.  
  
Keep it together  
  
Keep  
  
It  
  
…  
  
No.  
  
Molly turned around, dashing out of the shop as she ran down the sidewalk. She knew her way back. She knew what to do. She knew what was happening. The pain in her chest made it obvious.  
  
Panic attacks were never fun.  
  
But hey, what's another knife in the back of a girl that has already undergone so much? Just keep stacking on more.  
  
Molly kept running, breathing a painful challenge before she collapsed onto the concrete, curling up as she struggled to breathe. She placed her hands out before she used her epithet. She was shaking, and the task was hard. But eventually, she managed to brute force dumb down her panic. And her breathing returned to normal as Molly felt blissfully numb.  
  
She lay in the street for a moment, feeling awfully tired as she looked up at the cloudy sky.  
  
She always had to do this. Sometimes, it would all become too much. It was one of the few uses for her Epithet. Keeping herself numb to avoid episodes. Loud noise scared her, made her panic. But that included the noise in her head. And that was almost always there.  
  
Then Molly heard crying. Tears that weren't hers. She turned around, seeing down an alleyway that somebody was crying.  
  
If Molly was a girl of sense, she would have called for help, done something that assumed the worst case scenario. But with how numb she was, she simply stood up, and started walking.  
  
"Hello?"

The crying muffled itself, trying to hide clearly. But, the thin cobblestone path was not exactly a great place to hide. The alleyway ended in a wall. But there was a dumpster. Molly sighed.  
  
"I know your behind the Dumpster. I won't hurt you. But uh… I'm coming around the corner okay?"  
  
The crying actually stopped, whittling down to just sniffles and whimpers.  
  
"F-Fine."  
  
The voice sounded like an older woman. Mature. But Molly could see now that her tears weren't from anguish. Due to the shakiness in her voice, Molly could tell…

This stranger was in pain.  
  
Molly stepped around the dumpster.  
  
Blue.  
  
Lots of blue. This woman was sitting on the concrete, curled up, her left hand grasping her shoulder. She was hissing through her teeth, looking in pain as she panted. Her hair was a dark midnight blue, her eyes lazuli and sparkling. Her skin, light blue like the sky.  
  
She was beautiful.  
  
"Hello."

Molly sat down across from the woman, scrabbling forward. This woman pressed herself into the wall, her hand reaching forward as several needles of glass seemed to GROW from the slits between her fingers. She hissed as Molly heard audible cracks come from INSIDE of her. Molly moved forward, reaching out. The Lady returned Molly's concern with a slash. Molly winced as her cheek was slashed open. Molly grabbed The Lady's hand, trying to get her to stop.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Molly feels The lady's hand fracture and break within her grip, her eyes widening as she let go, scrabbling backwards until she was on the other end of the Alleyway. They both sit there, watching each other as they gasp and pant in mutual pain.  
  
"My name is Molly. What's yours?"

Molly watched as The Lady stares at her in open shock. Molly reaches up, pressing a few fingers into the slashes on her cheek. They were bleeding freely, and would hurt later. But right now, Molly was too numb to feel pain.

"What are you still doing here? LEAVE!"

Molly ignored the words of the older Lady as she crawled forward. Her reward was another slash across her opposite cheek. But she ignored that as she placed her hands on The lady's legs, being way more gentle to ensure she didn't break anything.

"Stay still, the pain will be gone soon."

The Lady seemed to stop fighting almost the SECOND Molly mentioned relief to her pain. Molly activated her Epithet, a green glow covering The Lady as Molly dumbed down her pain.  
  
"What… what is this?" She asked.  
  
Molly fell over, laying on the concrete as she looked up at The Lady.

"Name first, then I'll tell-"

"Mera, my name is Mera. Now PLEASE tell me what you did!"

Molly smiles. Mera seemed frantic. She must be in pain often.

"It's my Epithet. It's called Dumb. It Dumbs down stuff, and silences things. It's… not the best. But I can get creative with it. I was having a Panic Attack a bit ago before I managed to calm myself."

At first, Mera seemed excited at the prospect of Molly's Epithet. Then she heard the words Panic Attack, and her joviality vanished.

"You.…You get them too?" Mera asks, seeming morose.

Molly turned to look at Mera with a critical gaze.  
  
"Get what? Panic Attacks? I mean… sure. Why not? I'd be more concerned if I DIDN'T have them." Molly sits up, looking over at Mera. "How do you feel? The pain should be gone."

Mera flexed her hand, then shimmied her waist. Moments pass, the older lady exploring her body. Suddenly, more sobs filled the alleyway. But Molly could see. She wasn't crying from pain anymore.  
  
She was crying in relief.  
  
Tears ran down her cheeks, her attempts at wiping them away a failing endeavor. Her hand was still clearly broken. And from what Molly saw, her ribs were probably cracked too. But right now? Molly knew, she was blissfully numb.  
  
Molly smiles, sliding up to sit next to Mera, leaning back against the alleyway wall.  
  
"If you ever need relief again, you can come to me. I can take away the pain for a bit."

Mera turns her tear face over to Molly, staring at her in open shock.

"W-Why?"

Molly turns, gently prodding at her cheek and playing in the blood that slowly oozed from the wound. It probably was a bad idea to do that. Infection was a thing, and Molly didn't have the money to spend on antibiotics.  
  
"Why what?"

Mera chuckles as she gestures to herself.

"Why help me? You JUST met me. I tried to kill you. I actually DID manage to cut you. Why are you being nice? Where is the catch? There HAS to be a catch."  
  
Molly had no outwards reaction to Mera's confusion beyond simply shrugging and turning to watch the wall across from her.  
  
"Well, we're friends now aren't we? You know my name, I know yours. We've helped each other. I see that as friends."

Mera tilted her head in confusion.  
  
"I helped YOU? How? All I did was hurt you." Mera turned away from Molly, rubbing her arms with her hands as she whispered the last part. Something Molly was sure she wasn't supposed to hear. "Just like I always do."

Molly shook her head.  
  
"Nope."

"Nope?" Mera questioned.  
  
"Nnnope." Molly reiterated, crossing her legs and placing her hands in her lap. "You were freaking out. I know I've had some… not proud moments when I'm in the middle of freaking out."  
  
Molly chuckles, recalling a moment when she had thrown several toys at the toy store and shredded a plush out of sheer panic. It had created more work for her later, but in the moment, she felt better.  
  
"Still… calling us friends is a bit of a stretch." Mera says, crossing her arms and looking away.

Molly smiles, standing up and brushing her pants off.  
  
"Well, I have an idea on how to fix that." Molly offers Mera a hand. A hand that Mera stares at for a second before relaxing.  
  
"And I won't pay for this later? No catch? No strings?"

Molly shrugs before speaking. "Is showing up to help me with cookies every now and then really much of a string?"

Mera stares.…pondering. Molly could see that her brain was working overdrive, and she understood. Mistrust and pain seemed to be this girl's pick of the trade. But Molly hoped to change that.  
  
She needed the distraction.  
  
Mera eventually, relaxes, giving Molly a smile that was… honestly beautiful. Mera had a different kind of smile then most people. The way her cheeks stretched… It looked like she didn't smile often.  
  
"Will they be evil cookies?" Mera asks, taking Molly's hand (With her unbroken one).

"Oh, SO evil. The MOST evil cookies." Molly returns, hoisting the MUCH taller girl onto her feet. Mera looked like she was feeling okay. Molly's Epithet still working it's magic. But Mera was favoring her left leg.  
  
It made sense. Molly was able to dumb down pain. But actual biology still had to be obeyed. If a bone was out of place, Mera wouldn't be able to put weight on it. So, Molly stood to Mera's right, giving her a shoulder to lean on as they started walking to the mouth of the alleyway.

"So.…where are we going again?" Mera asks, clearly exhausted, but looking better now that she was numb.  
  
"Oh! To the Toy Shop!"

Mera frowned in confusion.  
  
"I'm sorry. The… Toy Shop?"  
  
  
  
  
)ooOoo(  
  
  
  
  
"Oh… so this is what you meant."

Molly danced into the store, in a much better mood then she was ten minutes previous. Mera stood transfixed staring around herself. It was actually kind of odd. She acted like she had never seen a toy shop before.  
  
Mera stepped forward, running delicate fingers over the ears of a plush bear. Of course, when she did so, her face scrunched up as she realized something.  
  
"That feels…."

"Dull?" Molly finishes from behind her desk, resting her elbows on the desk.

"Yeah." Mera nods, backing away from the bears and walking… well, limping, up to Molly. "What's up with that?"

"It's a tradeoff." Molly says, closing her eyes as she speaks. "My Epithet numbs pain. But it kinda numbs everything else. You can still feel sensation. But it's all…"

"Numb. Yeah." Mera finishes, walking away from the desk to explore the rest of the Toy Shop.

She walked between the aisles, peering at each and every toy, seeming to enjoy what she was seeing. Molly smiled, a sense of pride overcoming her pain. She spent a lot of time organizing the store. Making it colorful and joyous. Sighing, Molly looked underneath the desk and pulled out a suprisingly sizeable medkit. A medium sized white box with a green cross on both the front and back. She unlatched the box, placing it on the desk before she unlatched it. It was fairly standard as far as Medkits go. Certainly more then would be found in a five dollar kit in a Walmart somewhere. But more organized then a random federal kit found in a UPS workspace either.  
  
Gauze, Disinfectant, Burn cream, needle and thread, band-aids, stickers, lollipops, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, sealant, and a few other nick nacks that Molly had built up over the years. Was it a bit much? Maybe. But Molly was paranoid about injury, and figured overcompensation was better then not being prepared enough. She grabs a few choice items and starts setting them out on the table, grabbing the handheld mirror and sighing as she realized stitching her own cheek up by herself was gonna be a pain.  
  
Then a blue hand snatched the needle and thread off the table.  
  
Molly looked up, seeing Mera on the other side of the table, looking tentatively at the needle between her nimble fingers.  
  
"Ummm. Mera?"

Mera ignored Molly's question by replacing it with one of her own.  
  
"Why do you have so much? You look ready for a serious fight Kiddo." Mera chuckled as she looked at Molly.  
  
Molly, being as tired as she always seemed to be nowadays, just shrugged in response.  
  
"Eh. I like being prepared. Everyone in my house tends to get hurt more then I find comfortable. Mostly me. And the Hospital cost too much."

Mera's features soften as she comes around to Molly's side of the table, putting the Needle and Thread down for a moment before gesturing to Molly in a 'come here' motion.  
  
"C'mere. Up on the table."

Molly didn't have time to really respond before Mera was lifting her light body up onto the Counter, scooting the medical supplies aside to make space for Molly's rump. Molly heard something in Mera's side shift unpleasantly. Probably her ribs shifting against each other from the strain of lifting someone. While Mera DID wince, she didn't scream or stop. It seemed Molly's Epithet was still in effect.  
  
"Ummm. What are you doing?" Molly asks, perfectly okay with her new position on the table.  
  
"I'm going to stitch you up." Mera fills a small Tupperware container with clear disinfectant, dipping the needle and thread into it before she extended it and reached out towards Molly's face."

"W-Wait. What?" Molly leaned away, still not computing the fact that Mera wanted to HELP of all things. Mera scoffed as she looked at Molly.  
  
"Look, you helped take away my pain and showed me a sweet Toy store. This is just me returning the favor. Besides…" Mera says, reaching towards Molly's face again. "Friends help each other right? And we're friends."

Molly averted her eyes, thinking about that as she felt the needle pierce her skin. It was a fairly dull sensation. A slight pinprick that didn't even feel like it went anywhere. It was a bit strange to feel her own skin shift and tug without any pain. But generally Molly had gotten used to the effects of her own Epithet long ago.  
  
"You seem used to this." Mera says in a bid to break the silence. "Getting fixed up, I mean."

Molly shrugs, kicking her feet as she keeps her eyes straight ahead.  
  
"Injury is something that I'm just kinda used to."

Mera glances around as she works. Molly can see the gears turning in her head. The kid working the night shift. The lack of family, or family photos, Molly's mood, her non-chalance with getting hurt.  
  
"Where's the parents Kiddo? I feel like someone as young as you should be asleep by this point. No offense."

Molly considered the question for a moment. But eventually decided not to answer.  
  
"What happened to you out there? You were in pain way before I found you. Your wrist. I fractured it by just gripping it."

Mera pulls her right hand back, rolling her wrist and hearing something click within the joint. She grimaces, clearly unhappy with the sound. She also realized that Molly was trying to turn the flow of the conversation, something that Molly noticed she accepted. Molly wasn't all that surprised. She was well aware that she was an open book to anyone that bothered to look. And Mera looked like an observant woman. She was just happy Mera understood enough to move on when prompted.  
  
"My Epithet… it's called Fracture." Mera begins, returning to her task of stitching up Molly's cheek. "It allows me to push things to the breaking point. And I can summon glass. It's… very powerful."

"I sense a 'But' coming on." Molly smiles as she interrupts. Mera gives Molly a sly smile.

"Shut it brat. I'm getting there." Molly giggled at Mera's passive aggressive nicknames. It felt nice. For once, Molly could tell that Mera didn't mean it. Funny how that security was more common from a stranger then from Family.  
  
"Now… the 'But' you were waiting for. My Epithet is powerful. But it comes at the expense of my body. Like it says on the tin. I can MAKE things Fragile. But that also means that I myself am Fragile. Just crashing into a wall or landing wrong can fracture or break bones. I'm… weak."

Mera looks forlorn at the admission, her smile vanishing beneath the weight of her pain. Molly wonders for a second before she asks.  
  
"Have you ever tried using Eraser Cuffs? Ya know, take away the Epithet, maybe the side effects go away?"

Mera chuckles as she finishes up Molly's Stitches, dabbing at the sutures with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. She had apparently been cleaning and stitching at the same time and Molly had hardly noticed.  
  
"I've tried that before. But my Epithet is biological. My body is still ready to break even if the world around me isn't. All that led to was me crying because I was hurting and had no idea why."

Molly winced at the thought. She was well versed in what the Inscribed had to go through in terms of Epithet Drawbacks. Even Molly's own Epithet was no exception. She dumbed down things. But sometimes she herself felt Dumb. She could stare for hours at mathematics problems or essays and just… feel blank. She would walk around feeling numb and distant to pretty much everything. Molly accepted her issues because the alternative was constant pain and panic. But here Mera was, dealing with both BECAUSE of her Epithet.  
  
"I've drugged myself up on every painkiller known to man to the point of addiction and still felt agony from just the simple task of trying too hard to lift a heavy box. This pain is just something I had to get used to." Mera says, mirroring Molly's words from earlier.  
  
"Until you met me?" Mera pauses, considering Molly's words. Then, she smiles, appearing just as tired as Molly always felt.  
  
"Yes." So much relief was shoved into that one word that Molly felt her insides go weak. "Yes, until I met you."

The two girls enjoy the silence as Mera finishes up her impromptu Doctor session, cleaning the blood from Molly's face before slapping a gauze pad over her cheek. She steps back, looking Molly up and down, and smiling at her handiwork. Molly, deciding she wanted to be playful, hopped off the Counter, giving a whirl that made her hood flap around.  
  
"Well Doc? How do I look?" Molly tried her best to smile, and it probably came off as honest. It certainly felt that way.  
  
"Like a tired trooper." Mera says, surprising Molly at how relaxed she felt. Then again, Molly was aware of what her Epithet could do to a person.  
  
"So… what's the deal here?" Mera begins, leaning on a display case that was filled with Dog Whistles of all things. Molly made sure those were kept behind the Counter. Too many kids like to blow into them and then put them back, and Molly got tired of cleaning them.  
  
"What do you mean?" Molly asks. Mera huffs in response.  
  
"How long till you kick me out? I doubt I can spend the night."

Molly latched onto that piece of info as she smiled smugly.  
  
"Do you WANT to stay?" Molly asks, leaning forward.  
  
Mera didn't look like she had a solid answer to that question. She looked unsure.  
  
"Do you not have a place to stay Mera?" Molly presses.  
  
Mera looked away, as if she was remembering something unpleasant.  
  
"Weeeeellllll…" Mera groans, shaking her hand in a 'kinda' gesture.  
  
"What's the issue?"

Mera sighs. "I have a home. But… it's kind of annoying. And I am NOT in the right headspace to deal with it right now."  
  
Molly nods, understanding completely. She was lucky, having an Epithet that could just silence everything. It allowed her to generally deal with idiots and other such annoyances easily. Of course, the drawback with that was constant anxiety over having missed something important. So, karma always had equalizers in her mind. Even if they sucked.  
  
"Well, you can always stay here!" Molly says as if it was the most obvious solution ever. "I'm always willing to help out a friend."

Mera gives Molly a look of disbelief.

"Ha. Good joke kid. No way your parents…"

Mera trails off as Molly raises a brow at her, gesturing to the entire store. Molly ran a store by herself, and no adults supervised her pretty much ever. They wouldn't even notice Mera walking around and doing her own thing.  
  
"Yeah… good point. But only on one condition."

Molly tilts her head in confusion.  
  
"Yes? What is it?"

Mera gestures further into the store, towards the stairs that let to the upper flat and living area.  
  
"If I'm staying here, I wanna sleep now." Mera reaches out, poking Mera on her shoulder. "And YOU missy, are coming with me."

Molly's eyes widen comically as she looks around at the store, stammering.  
  
"I-I-I can't! Someone has to stay and watch the store! I-I-I still have p-paperwork to do! A-And homework! A-And-"

"Yada, Yada, Yada, blah, blah, blah… are you done?" Mera waves off Molly's concerns, smiling at her. Molly was confused. Her dad did the same thing, waving off her concerns. But with Mera… she didn't have that uncaring attitude. Rather then making Molly feel unimportant like her Dad and Sister did, Mera just made her problems feel small. Like they would be easy to handle.  
  
Molly was still panicked, however. "Mera! I'M BEING SERIOUS! I still have so much I need to do! I still need to re-stock the shop! And get these bank notes done and-!"

Molly's train of thought and growing panic came to a SHRIEKING halt when she felt a hand run through her hair before settling on the side of her face. It was such an alien sensation. Even through the numbness of her Epithet, the fingers framing her face felt like liquid fire tracing her skin. She looked up only to see Mera giving her an observatory look. Concern was in her gaze, but also an affectionate sort of amusement. It was a look that Molly had practically never seen before.  
  
Measured affection, balanced concern, wry amusement, and valid skepticism.  
  
All given in amounts small enough that they seemed realistic… not stifling.  
  
Almost like…  
  
Molly could have had many reactions to what Mera was doing. Her head felt like it was arguing with itself. Molly wanted to slap Mera's hand away and yell at her for trying to be something she wasn't. But she also wanted to lean into the touch and pretend for just a few seconds…  
  
Instead, she simply decided to lock up into a shuddering mess. Grasping the hem of her hoodie as her legs shook. She kept her eyes on Mera, the gravity of the situation hitting her as those blue eyes seemed to pierce her very soul.  
  
"When was the last time you slept Molly?"  
  
Molly tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she actually considered the question.  
  
"I… I'm not sure."

It was true. Molly so rarely slept nowadays. She worked the Night shift. That ate up MOST of her alleged sleep time. Most of her current sleep was rushed power naps spread throughout the day with the occasional five to six hour crash that just led to more work stacking up and additional panic.  
  
"How old are you Molly?"  
  
"Twelve."

Mera absorbs that information easily, her thumb rubbing across Molly's cheek in a way that almost made her wanna keen for more because she MISSED this.  
  
"So, you are a twelve year old girl that is running yourself ragged like a college intern trying to pay off tuition because your Family is just deciding to dump everything on you?"

Molly nods, not exactly sure what Mera was getting at.  
  
"Okay. So, how is that what you want Molly?"

Molly was beginning to understand where Mera was going with this. Her first instinct was to refute everything she was saying.  
  
"That's not impor-"

"Nope." Mera cut Molly off, leaving the little girl stunned.  
  
"Wait, Mera you don't-"

"Beeeep! Wrong!" Mera was smiling now, waiting for it to click. But Molly remained adamant, glaring up at Mera, her grip on her hoodie getting tighter.

"Mera!"

"Okay. Let's try this differently." Mera crouches down to Molly's level, cupping her face with both hands in a move that was so comfortable it made Molly's legs go weak.  
  
"I don't care about what's possible or reasonable." THOSE words got Molly's attention as she stared wide-eyed at the very serious looking Mera. "I don't care about what others expect from you, or what's fair, or even what you NEED to do. What I wanna know, is what YOU want. What do YOU want Molly? Right now in this moment."  
  
What did she want… that question had so many answers. Molly wanted a family. She wanted to have a GOOD day at the Shop. She wanted to finish her homework. She wanted to go to school and actually be able to taste food and follow lessons.  
  
Molly wanted her Mom back.  
  
But what she wanted MOST? In THIS moment?  
  
"I wanna sleep." Molly finally answered, tears welling up in her eyes. Her voice was fractured like glass. Just like the beautiful fractals that Mera conjured from thin air.  
  
"I wanna sleep and wake up and not feel like my world is on the constant edge of collapse just because I do the most BASIC of things to keep myself alive."

Molly reached up, gripping Mera's wrists before she realized that she was fragile and relinquishing her grip. But Mera didn't seem to mind the accidental roughness. Instead, she was smiling wide, appearing satisfied with whatever she had done.  
  
"That's what I wanted to hear." Mera stood up, letting her hands drop away from Molly's face. "C'mon Kiddo. The rough part is over. Gimme a smile?"

Molly sniffled, wiping her face. But slowly, surely, she managed to give Mera a small smile, one borne from relief.  
  
"H-How's that?"

Mera hums and haws for a bit. As if she was a judge observing a work of art before she gave a thumbs up.  
  
"Golden. Now c'mon. I'll help you clean up."

Molly and Mera didn't actually need to do much. Now that Molly had admitted her exhaustion, she was in a terrible mood to take care of every little microscopic detail of the shop. She made sure everything was in place before she locked the door, flipped on the "Closed" sign, and took Mera to the back of the shop. But, before they went anywhere, Molly did something that surprised Mera.  
  
She hugged her from behind, snuggling into her sweater.  
  
Mera gasped in shock, apparently waiting for some sort of pain before she realized that she wasn't capable of pain at the moment. She placed her hands over Molly's which were wrapped around her waist, leaning back into the younger girl.  
  
"What's this? A bid for me to carry you? I'm a bit too wiry for that Kiddo."  
  
Molly shook her head.  
  
"Mmmm. Nope. I just wanted to hug a friend."

Mera smiled warmly.  
  
"Ewww. Affection. Lead me upstairs you brat."  
  
Molly did as she was asked, grabbing Mera by the hand and gently tugging her to the back of the shop. There was a locked door that Molly quickly supplied a key for. Once unlocked, a small staircase led upward before doubling back to a second flight that presumably led to the second floor.  
  
"After you?" Molly said politely, appearing unsure as she stepped aside, allowing Mera to go first.  
  
Mera tested her leg before she shook her head. "While I appreciate the chivalry, I really can't. Ya know. Busted leg and all."

Molly blushed, embarrassed at her lapse of memory concerning Mera's injuries. It was easy to forget her leg was jacked up when she wasn't groaning in pain.  
  
"O-Oh. My bad." Molly quickly stood next to Mera, helping her brace her weight as they climbed the stairs together, Molly kicking the door shut behind her.

The two climbed the stairs efficiently as Molly braced Mera's weight, helping her keep balance as she climbed the stairs.  
  
"This feels weird." Mera says, breaking the silence.  
  
"What's weird?" Molly asks as they reach the first landing at the top of the stairs.  
  
"Not being in pain." Mera says, sounding giddy. "My wrist is fractured, my ribs are broken, my leg is fractured, and yet, I feel perfectly fine. Even if I can feel my bones shift every now and then."  
  
Molly nods solemnly. She understands the feeling. When a sensation is constant within your life, having that sensation vanish can be either a traumatizing, or a relieving experience. And considering Mera was in constant pain, it was probably a pleasant feeling.  
  
"Well, if you want, whenever you come by, I can take away your pain for a bit. How's that sound?"

Mera giggles, sounding happy as they climbed the second flight of stairs.  
  
"That sounds amazing Molly. Thank you."  
  
Molly feels a sense of accomplishment as they reach a second door at the top of the stairs.  
  
"All these locked doors. You worried about security?"  
  
Molly leans Mera up against the wall as she fumbles through her key ring, getting a second key and shoving it into the key lock.  
  
"Well, I spend an awful amount of time by myself. I just feel better having a lot of locks."  
  
The door clicks, swinging open with a light shove from Molly, revealing a long hallway. Several doors on either side before it opens up into a living room of some sort. On the right was an open archway that led into the kitchen. To the left was two doors that led into Molly's room and her sister's room respectively.  
  
The walls were white, and red carpet covered the entire floor (Except for the kitchen obviously). It looked like a homey place despite how barren it looked at a glance.  
  
"Home sweet home." Molly says, reaching out to Mera in an offer of help.  
  
"Naw. I'm good when I'm on level ground." Mera says, using the wall to balance as she shimmies forward, a slight limp in her gait.  
  
Molly nods in understanding, walking forward into her house. She allows Mera to pass through the threshold of the doorway before she closes the door, locking it behind them both.  
  
"No turning back now New blood." Mera says cryptically as she watches Molly lock the door.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Molly asks, walking to the left of the hallway, her intended destination being the second door.  
  
"Nothing really. Just an old reference to an old movie you probably haven't seen." Mera says as she follows after Molly.  
  
Molly pays it no mind as she opens her bedroom door. Waving Mera in as she flicks on the light.  
  
Molly's room was colorful.  
  
It made sense considering how she looked. Anyone who saw her could probably guess that she enjoyed pretty things. Her own hair was styled like bear ears for pete's sake. Green was the primary color. It decorated the walls along with several posters. Also, those family photos that Mera were so curious about?  
  
It seemed like they had all migrated here.  
  
Stands, hanging pictures, portraits, and even just bare photos hung on the walls. Secured by tape, thumbtacks, drills, nails, and any other manner of hanging. It was a bit weird Molly could admit. But to her, it was home. Molly slowly started putting all of her stuff away. Removing her backpack and shoes, placing them in the closet before she removed her socks, hopping on one foot in a balance act as she tossed them into a hamper that was sitting in the corner. Molly sighs before she turns around to look at an awestruck Mera.

"Well? Are you coming in?" Molly asks, wondering why Mera was acting so shocked.  
  
"Umm. Yeah." Mera slowly steps into the room, her attention glued to the walls as she looked around. "Just… not used to this much color In one place."  
  
Molly blushed. She was doing that a lot today. Then again, it was rare for her to have someone be so close to her personally. So this seemed like a fair trade.  
  
"Y-Yeah. I like keeping it colorful in here. Everything is normally so grey. I figured my room could be the one place I try to keep things cheerful." Molly explains, awkwardly gripping the hem of her hoodie as she sits on the edge of her bed. "Does it look nice?"

Mera smiles warmly at Molly. "Yes… color is a great thing to see. Especially when cold blue is so much of my life."

Mera follows Molly, sitting on the bed next to her. Molly's bed was a decent size. Capable of fitting two people quite easily. It had green sheets with white stripes, and one giant pink comforter that covered it. Molly had several Bear plushies that she generally kept nestled against her pillows.  
  
It looked like something made for a child.  
  
They both sat together on the bed for a minute before Mera shrugged and started taking her sweater off. Molly blushed, immediately covering her face.  
  
"W-What are you doing!?" Molly yells.

Mera pauses, the hem of her sweater already halfway up her torso. She looked over and raised a brow.  
  
"What?"

"Y-You're stripping! Stop!"

Mera smiles, chuckling.  
  
"Honey, I sleep in my underwear. It's not like I'll be flashing you."

Molly blushes, looking with one ye between her fingers. "I… wha… huh!?"

Mera slowly pulls her sweater over her head, revealing a sturdy, blue sports bra. "Molly… am I really making you uncomfortable? We can figure out a compromise if it's that upsetting." Mera lifts a brow at Molly, as if she didn't mind jumping through hoops to ensure Molly was comfortable.  
  
And that really was the decider. Molly wasn't TOO uncomfortable with this. It was just a bit odd.  
  
"No. You can sleep like this just… get under the blanket while I get changed. A-And don't look!"  
  
Mera giggles. "Give me one second to take off my boots and pants. And don't look right?"

Molly stands, going over to her closet and grabbing a pair of sweat shorts and a T-shirt with a picture of a chibi bear eating out of a honey jar. Quickly, Molly sheds her Hoodie, hanging the precious garment in the closet before she strips her pants and her skirt. She quickly folds that all up before she places it on the Dresser next to her closet.  
  
When she turned around, Mera's boots and clothes were neatly folded up and she was in Molly's bed, her giant comforter tucked around her  
Her body as she sat in the middle of Molly's bed. It was an interesting thing for Molly to see, seeing a small blue head of hair poking out of her giant pink comforter.  
  
"Comfortable over there?" Molly asks as she walks back over to her bed, crawling up to Mera.  
  
Mera nods. "Yeah. Though, this is a lot fluffier then what I'm used to."

Mera opens the comforter, trying to make space for Molly. But Molly gasped at what she saw. Mera's chest, all underneath her left breast was bruised an ugly purple. A large blotch that foretold her broken ribs. Molly scooted closer, all embarrassment vanishing in the face of her friend being injured. Most of Mera's injuries were fractures. Stuff that just required rest and being gentle. But these ribs required wrapping.  
  
Mera raises a brow at Molly's staring. "Something wrong Kiddo?"  
  
Molly shakes her head, trying to shuffle off the bed.  
  
"I need to wrap these. You’re hurt."

Mera grabs Molly's wrist, tugging her back onto the bed with her good hand. Molly turns back to Mera, a question in her eyes. But the injured woman just shook her head.  
  
"I've broken over 300 bones. I know how to care. Besides. My Epithet may break my bones. But I heal fast. Within three days my wrist and leg will be fine, and most of the bruising for my ribs will be gone. I'll be fine Kiddo. C'mon. Let's just sleep."

Molly was understandably worried about sleeping next to someone she could hurt. But she eventually just shrugged and sighed.  
  
"Okay. If you want. Lemme just turn off the lights." Molly shimmies out of bed, quickly walking over to the door. She double checks it, ensuring that it's closed before she turns off the light. The room is plunged into darkness, with only moonlight streaming through the window illuminating the room. Molly manages to stumble around until she practically falls back into her bed.  
  
"Exhausting?" Mera asks, smug. Molly answers with a groan before rolling over.  
  
"More then you know."

Mera laugh at Molly before grabbing her arm, dragging her over and covering her with the blanket. They both manage to get comfortable, but Molly notices just how tense Mera is.

"Mera? You okay?"

Mera pauses, falling still as she lays on her back.  
  
"You don't kick in your sleep do you?" Mera asks, her hands folding up on her stomach.  
  
"Umm. I don't THINK so?" Molly says, reasonably certain she remains still when sleeping.  
  
"Good. I'm fine. I'm just nervous. I don't usually share a bed with people. When I was little, my parents denied me of that, saying that they didn't want the other person to break me while I was sleeping." Mera chuckles. "Not that it helped. I still managed to break my bones just by walking around."  
  
Molly frowns. "I think you'll be okay with me. Ya know… with me being small and all."

Mera snorts as she turns her head to look at Molly.  
  
"Wanna hear a secret?"

Molly scoots closer, eyes wide as she nods. Mera swallows roughly, tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
"I'm pretty sure this is the happiest I've been in a long time."

Molly smiles wide.  
  
"Yeah?" She asks, as if she has to make sure that Mera's words aren't a lie.  
  
"Yeah." Mera confirms, trying to blink tears out of her eyes with varying success. "And it's all because of you Molly."

That was such a foreign idea. Molly? Being the cause of someone's happiness? Blasphemy. But no. Here Mera was, crying tears of relief as she confirmed that yeah. Her day would be worse if Molly wasn't around. Molly had no real response other then tears welling up into her own eyes.  
  
"C-can I hug you?" Molly asks, wiping her face as she sniffles.  
  
Mera responds by lifting her right arm. "Promise you won't squeeze too hard?"

Molly smiles. "Deal."  
  
Molly scoots over, snuggling into Mera's uninjured side, one hand falling onto Mera's belly. Mera's right arm acted as Molly's pillow, her hand being placed on the shorter girl's back.  
  
"How's this?" Mera asks, snuggling into Molly's giant poof of hair. Molly knew from experience that her hair was soft, and she was happy that Mera was taking advantage of it.  
  
"It feels fine Mera." Molly feels her eyes droop. It was always something she could normally ignore. Her tiredness. But resting always just ,ade it rush back in full force.  
  
And laying down like this. Warm and protected. No anxiety to ruin it. Well…

"What am i gonna do about the extra paperwork when I wake up?" Molly mumbles into the air.  
  
It was weird. Sure, Molly still had concerns. But they all felt so far away. Like they were small. Like Mera had MADE them small.  
  
Something she had a habit of doing.  
  
"I'll help you." Mera says, sounding tired. Molly glanced up to see that Mera's eyes were already closed.  
  
"How much do you remember about middle school Algebra?" Molly asks smugly.  
  
In response, one of Mera's eyes cracked open and she smiled.  
  
"Go to sleep brat."  
  
And so she did.  
  
And it was the best sleep Molly had done in years.  
  
  
  
  
)ooOoo(  
  
  
  
  
Molly woke up to the sound of crying.  
  
It wasn't exactly normal in any way. Yelling, screaming, silence, cooking, water being dunked on her face. Molly could have accepted those. But crying? That was pretty far down the list.  
  
Then everything that happened the previous night came running back and Molly realized what had happened and who was crying. Molly's Epithet must have run dry while Mera was sleeping. Or at least, the effects it had over Mera had faded away. Molly didn't open her eyes as she reached toward the sounds of crying. Her hand landing on what felt like Mera's naked back.  
  
Mera gasped before whimpering. Her ribs must have hurt. Molly took a deep breathe, and reached for that familiar numbness. A green glow overcame her hand and flowed into Mera. And slowly… slowly, her crying ceased. Mera actually seemed surprised, shivering as her pain faded away. Molly opened her eyes, and was greeted with shocked blue irises staring at her.  
  
"Good Morning." Molly says with a smile. One that Mera returns.  
  
"Yeah… for once… good morning." Mera turns around, hoisting her blanket up to cover her chest. Something that Molly was semi grateful for. She was comfortable enough to share a bed. And she wouldn't have minded getting an eyeful. She was too tired to care much about modesty at the moment. But still, it was relaxing that Mera had remembered how Molly had freaked out last night and took steps to make her more comfortable.  
  
"So… what time is it?" Molly had no idea when she went to sleep. She had other concerns at the time and didn't bother looking at her clock. But, based on how late the night shift goes, and when Mera walked in, Molly was willing to bet they had gone to sleep around 2:00 AM.  
  
Mera looks over at the digital clock next to Molly's bed. She squints, struggling to clear her eyes of both tears and crust from sleep.  
  
"Ummm 7:30."  
  
A slight part of Molly starts panicking at how late it was. It wasn't actually that late. Logically, Molly had enough time to get her chores done, shower, and get dressed. But Molly was just habitually used to panicking at the time at any given moment. Something Mera must have picked up on because she immediately goes to flick Molly on the forehead.  
  
"Hey! I can hear you panicking from here!" Molly's head flinches back from the surprisingly soft flick. Then she realizes that Mera must have lowered her power to avoid breaking her finger. The thought made her frown. "I'm here. You'll be fine. I'll help you with the store while you eat and other stuff."

Molly's eyes widened. Help? Someone was willing to help her!? Normally, Molly's Dad and Sister just slept in, leaving Molly to deal with everything on her own. Molly was willing to bet that her Dad was snoring the day away, sleeping off a drunken stupor from a night spent out with friends. And her Sister would be no different.  
  
Molly sat up, fidgeting with her hands, trying to find something to do before settling on gripping the covers. She missed her hoodie.  
  
"Mera… why would you help me? Like, you don't need to. You've done enough. You can relax, I do this every day and… and…" Whatever else Molly was going to say was cut off by a raised brow from Molly, looking down at her.  
  
"You done?" Molly nods, causing Mera to smile and reach out, ruffling Molly's hair. "I'm helping because I want too. Especially considering you just took my pain away for a second time, and haven't asked me for literally anything in return."

Molly tilts her head in confusion. "But how will you know what to do? I haven't walked you through anything yet!"

Molly smiles smugly. "I'm an adult kiddo. I've worked more retail then you've even seen yet."

And for some reason, that sentence made Molly shiver in horror.  
  
"Welp. Look away." Mera says, standing up and dropping the blanket.  
  
Molly normally would have heeded Mera's advice. Just last night she had freaked out at the idea of seeing Mera naked. Though, she quickly got used to the idea when she slept in the same bed as her. Thinking back, it was more about the shock of it all. That Mera trusted her enough to strip, and that she did it with such ease that embarrassed her. But again, logic was kicking in. This wasn't anything romantic. This was literally two girls getting dressed, one of them happening to not mind nudity.  
  
In a weird sort of way, it made sense. How much time had Mera spent in a hospital, stripped down to nothing while people poked and prodded at her, looking her over for damage or irregularities. So she was obviously comfortable with it. And Molly was feeling generally sleepy and too tired to care.  
  
She didn't look away is the point here.

And it may have been a mistake because Mera had scars…. Lots of scars. Nothing that was really clean or orderly. It just looked like she was dotted with every sort of scar from slashes and cuts. Probably from her bones breaking skin upon compound breaks. It was something that Molly SHOULD have noticed earlier. But last night it was just dark. And this morning Molly's initial concern was fixing Mera's pain and waking up. Now that she was aware, she realized that yes. Mera had experienced a lot of pain in her life.  
  
"See something you like?" Mera asked teasingly, planting her hands on her hips as she lets her sweater hang off her shoulder. She looked confident. Something Molly wished she had in her own appearance.  
  
Still. Molly couldn't stop the slight blush that adorned her face at Mera's tease. Molly had never given thought to… dating. Not like the older kids did. It was just something that Molly never had time for. And having the idea waved so blatantly in her face was something that Molly was not accustomed to in the slightest. But… Molly did have a few questions.  
  
"How do you do that?" Molly asks, scooting forward so she could hang her feet off the bed. Mera looked confused at the question as she pulled her panties up, something that made Molly avert her eyes. She was okay with Mera being nude. But that didn't mean she had to stare at her… lady bits.  
  
"What do you mean?" Mera questions, clipping her bra behind her back.  
  
"Ya know!" Molly waves at Mera, gesturing to all of her. "Be pretty! And confident!"

Mera stared in surprise for a second, brushing her hair out of her face as she blinked. Then she looked down, seeing the scars dotting her body.  
  
"You think I'm pretty?" And Mera sounds so genuinely surprised by the sheer idea that someone can ADMIT she looks pretty, that Molly feels her heart break a little. But instead of doing something drastic like tackle-hugging Mera. She just smiles wide.  
  
"Sure! One of the prettiest people I know!" Molly says, trying to sound as honest as possible.  
  
Really, Molly was glad that her Epithet had worn off. It allowed her to really relish in the joy she was feeling at the moment. In eight hours, Molly had gained a friend, help, sleep, and a better mood. Which was more then she'd had in the last few years. Mera smiled at Molly's honesty and shockingly, she simply rolled right on after the compliment. Moving on to answer Molly's question.  
  
"Well. I'm not sure on the 'being pretty' part. I kinda just roll with what I have and it works." Mera says, grabbing her pants and trying to pull them up her legs. "But, the confidence really comes from me being entitled."

Molly furrow her brow in confusion. "Entitled?"

Mera smiles wide, zipping up her pants.  
  
"Yeah! Here, lemme explain." Mera yanks her sweater off her shoulders before pulling it over her head. "I've been in pain all my life. I've spent a lot of it doing what I was SUPPOSED to do, and it wasn't working. In essence, I spent a lot of it doing what I didn't want to do. Following so far?"

Molly nods, looking at the clock and deciding to get up and get changed along with Molly. Or, at least grab her clothes in preparation for a shower.  
  
"Well, at some point, I realized how unfair that was. And I told myself I was gonna do what I wanted. And that nobody was gonna stop me. So, my confidence really comes from spite and a desire to even the scale." Mera sits on Molly's bed, reaching down to pull on her socks and shoes. But she looked… subtly angry. Not a lot. Just a small flash of it. "I made the decision that I deserve better. And that's why I'm confident. Because nobody can stop me."  
  
Molly grabbed her standard outfit from the closet. She had copies of her dress and leggings, and of course her hoodie was worthy of multiple wears. But as she did so, she looked over at Mera.  
  
"Do you think I could do that? Be confident?" Molly asks, sounding nervous.  
  
Mera looks over at Molly and considers the question for about ten seconds.  
  
"Depends. Do you think what you've been through is unfair?"

A nod.

"Does it make you mad sometimes?"

Another nod.

"Do you want better?"

A pause.… then another nod.  
  
"Then I think that one day you'll be able to. You just need that additional push." Mera stands up, testing her weight on her leg and realizing that it held up much better. She couldn't feel pain of course. But she would be able to feel if the bones were shifting, and it seemed like the smaller fractures had all healed. So her main source of pain must have been her ribs.  
  
"So come on! Go get dressed. I'll go handle the set up for the shop. Though, I need to ask. Who runs the place when you're not here?"

Molly grumbles before she answers.  
  
"My Sister. But she doesn't know how anything works except the register. I still need to show her how THAT works every now and then." Molly says, grabbing her boots before following Mera to the door.  
  
They both step out of the room into the hall. Molly turns to the left, going for the bathroom. While Mera turns to the right for the exit. But before she reaches the bathroom door, she hears her name get called.

"Molly." Mera seemed to be whispering to avoid waking anyone. Something that made Molly smile as she turned around.

Mera was smiling as she held the door open.

"Can i come with you? Drop you off at school?"

That.…was familiar in a way that made tears rush to Molly's eyes.  
  
_"Do you want me to come with you Molly?"_  
  
Molly ignores the memory before nodding frantically.  
  
"Y-Yeah. I'd like that a lot."

Mera doesn't point out how Molly's voice cracked. She understood. She could put two and two together. So, she waved and walked out the door. And for the first time in awhile, Molly knew that the store was okay in someone else's hands.  
  
"Thanks…"

Molly tries not to consider the second unsaid word in that phrase.  
  
And what it means for her.  
  
  
  
)ooOoo(  
  
  
  
Molly came down the stairs feeling awfully refreshed now that she had taken care of her own needs. The bags under her eyes had even faded a bit with the nice amount of sleep she had managed to snag. Her backpack rattled on her back, her hood flopping up and down before Molly hopped down the last three steps, hitting the wooden floor roughly.

"Mera! Mera, are you okay!?"

Molly turned, only to see Mera laughing uproariously as she desperately tried to stack a ton of papers on the front counter.  
  
"How many Return Forms do you have!?" Mera says, glancing at Molly before she finally manages to wrangle all the papers into a proper pile.  
  
Molly looked around, seeing that the store was looking pretty good! Everything was on it's proper shelf, the desk was organized and ready to go. The sign was flipped. Everything was clean. In the half an hour Molly was showering and getting ready, Mera had found the time to mop the floor!

"How fast do you work?! The floor is clean! That job takes me at least a hour!" Molly says excitedly. Mera was quickly becoming one of Molly's best friends. Top charts already. She was there.  
  
"Like I said Kiddo. I've done this before." Mera says, looking smug as she picks up the pile of papers in front of her and carries them into a small cabinet. "So! Are you ready for school?"

Mera stands up, leaning on the desk as Molly smiles at her, gripping her backpack straps.  
  
"Yep! All ready to go!"

Mera seems to think for a second before she looks at the clock hanging on the wall.

"I know it's been awhile since I've been on school. But if I'm not mistaken, the bell rings in half an hour. Buses have already been through here. How are you gonna get to school?"

Molly shrugs, not worried.  
  
"The public bus system works just fine. I'm only late half the time now! Much better then when I was walking."

Mera doesn't seem to like that logic. She massages her temples, seeming aggravated.  
  
"So your Dad doesn't take you? He has a car right?"

Molly sighs. "Yeah. He usually sleeps in. And I can never wake him up."

Mera.…has a smile that Molly isn't sure what to think about.  
  
"So… he has a car outside that he won't be driving for several hours. And you need a ride?"

Molly slowly nods. Then Mera walks around the counter, ruffling Molly's hair as she walks over to the stairs.  
  
"Give me one sec. I'll be right back."

Molly again, slowly nods while she watches Mera go. She was so confused. What was Mera going to do? Wake her Dad? Good luck with that. He slept heavier then a rock. Five minutes passed before she realized exactly what was going on and it almost made her stumble as she paced.

No.

No way she was doing what she thought she was doing.  
  
But then Mera came down the stairs, smiling like a bandit as she closed the door behind her, spinning a ring of keys around her finger.  
  
Her Dad's keys.

"Mera!" Molly practically screamed as Mera walked up to her.

"What? This seems perfectly okay." Mera says, not at all sounding sincere.

"You can't just steal my Dad's car! Can you even drive legally!?" Molly screams, following Mera to the entrance of the shop.  
  
Mera sighs, and turns around. She places a hand on Molly's head, leaning down at her before speaking.

"Is this fair?" Mera asks. The question makes Molly stop and stumble over her words.  
  
"Umm… uh.. But.. Umm."

Mera nods her head at Molly's confusion.  
  
"You need a ride to school. And frankly, your Dad will never know this happened. Nothing bad is being committed here. So I ask… is this fair?"

Molly stops and considers. In a way, it was. Her Dad wasn't going to help her. And this really did remind her of what happened last night and this morning. Molly had spent a lot of her time recently just giving and giving and receiving nothing in return. Everyone seemed fine with taking. So, Molly wanted a turn to take. And if she was being frank, she wasn't even taking. She was borrowing. So, she looks up at Mera and nods, looking sure in herself for once.  
  
"Yeah. As… as long as you don't crash of something like that."  
  
Mera smiles at Molly before ruffling her hair, turning around and opening the front door with a jingle.  
  
"You have your phone? Your house key?" Mera asks, sounding so casual about such domestic questions that it almost seemed like they had been friends for longer then the 8 hours they had known each other.  
  
Molly does indeed check to see if she has her phone and keys. She does, smiling at that fact before she realizes something.  
  
"Do you have a phone Mera?"  
  
Mera did indeed have a phone and quickly handed it over to Molly while she walked up to the beat up red truck that was parked in front of the shop. It looked lived in, which made sense. Molly couldn't remember a time where she HADN'T been driving around in this car. Mera quickly unlocked the car and hopped in while Molly finished up trading numbers with Mera. It was odd seeing another number in her contacts. She hadn't added one in so long. She had almost forgotten how.  
  
Mera inserted the keys, closing her door before buckling in, Molly following suit. Molly herself sitting in the passenger seat, Something she did so little nowadays. She hadn't sat there ever since…  
  
It had been awhile.  
  
And in a way, the car felt… cleaner now. The sun really was bright today, and it seemed to make everything glow. Like an extra shade of orange had been added to everything. And it shined through the windows, making everything feel warm. Molly turned to see Mera rev the engine, looking over at her passenger.  
  
"Ready to go Kiddo?" Mera said, mirroring words that Molly hadn't heard in years.  
  
_"Ready to go Honey?"_  
  
Molly blinked tears from her eyes as she nodded, turning to look at the road.  
  
"Uh. Yeah. Yeah, let's go. We wanna hurry before Dad wakes up." Molly says.  
  
Mera giggles as she shifts the stick into reverse, turning around to look behind herself as she pulls out into the main road, which was empty this time of day. When she backed out enough, she shifts the stick into drive and turns the wheel, turning out into the road and driving off.  
  
Surprisingly, Mera seemed to know these streets well, and was familiar with which school Molly went to. It wasn't the most shocking thing ever. But it was still a bit confusing.  
  
"Um… Mera? You know which school I go to?"

Mera nods as she glances at the radio.  
  
"Yeah. You go to Butterscotch Hills right? That one Middle School a few blocks down?"

Molly smiles, nodding excitedly at Mera's correct guess.  
  
"How did you know I go to a middle school and not an Elementary School?"

Mera smiles as she comes to a stop at a red light, planning to turn right the first chance she got.  
  
"Honestly? I guessed based on how tall you are."  
  
Molly glared hard at Mera, who immediately burst into laughter.  
  
"How tall I am? Really?"

Mera's answer was more wild laughter as the light turned green. Too her credit, she did at least try to keep herself composed while driving. That was more then Molly's Dad could accomplish. It took about ten minutes. Traffic was light. But the amount of lights between Molly's home and Her School just padded out the time a bit. Not to mention that Molly asked Mera to go slow to ensure no accidents would happen.  
  
This of course led to moments where Mera would speed up for no reason just to make Molly freak out.  
  
Of course, Molly didn't actually mind.  
  
Eventually, Mera turned onto a street that had an awful lot of children walking down the sidewalks. Mera, to Molly's gentle prodding, chose NOT to brave the stupidly packed and cluttered parking lot, and instead parked across the street from the Schoolyard grounds. They slowed to a stop, parking next to the sidewalk. Mera killed the engine, leaning back into her seat while Molly did the same.  
  
Suddenly, Molly was feeling tense. She hadn't really been apart from Mera since they had met. And now, Molly was gonna go away for about 8 hours while Mera… well, she couldn't just stay at the shop and wait for Molly. She had her own life after all. But Molly found that she didn't really want this to end. Mera was a friend. A Dear one. And She wanted her to stay.  
  
"H-hey Mera-" Molly made to turn to look at Mera.  
  
But whatever Molly was going to say was cut off as Mera reached out, wrapping her arm around Molly's head and pulling her forward, planting a quick kiss into her hair. When she was done, she pulled back and looked down at an awestruck Molly.  
  
"See you after school Molly. Okay?"

And the honesty and the confidence with which Mera said that. Like she KNEW without a doubt that she would be seeing Molly after school. It brought tears to Molly's eyes as yet another memory in her head was tugged at.  
  
_"See you after school. Okay Molly?"_

Molly felt tears run down her cheeks as she whimpered. But her tears didn't stop her from unbuckling herself and launching across the car, latching onto Mera and hugging her for all she was worth. A hug that Mera returned.  
  
"Yeah… yeah, I'll see you. After school o-okay?" Molly manages to squeeze out despite the lump in her throat.  
  
Mera doesn't argue or point out that Molly was crying or make fun of her for it. She just… let it happen. Minutes pass before Molly pulls away, leaning back over to her own door. She opens it, swinging the car door open as she steps out. Her feet hit the concrete before she turns around.  
  
Mera was looking at her with an easy smug smile. That look that Molly had come to associate as just Mera's. And she felt unbelievably warm in a way that she honestly forgot she could feel.  
  
"See you later Kiddo. You knock'em dead, you get me?"

Molly smiles so wide her cheeks hurt before she waves good bye.  
  
The door closes, and Mera revs the engine again. Molly quickly sprints across the street, not stopping till she reaches the grass that decorated the school's porch. She turns around and sees that Mera was still parked. Molly raises a hand and waves. A wave that Mera return as she finally… FINALLY drives off. Molly watches her go until her car turns around the corner.  
  
Molly waits. And she doesn't feel sad. She feels hopeful. She knows she's gonna see Mera again. And that alone keeps the smile on her face.  
  
So, as Molly turns to walk towards the school, she realizes something.  
  
She doesn't feel numb like she usually does.  
  
No…  
  
Molly realizes that she feels happy.

**Author's Note:**

> IT'S FINALLY DONE!
> 
> But no. This took a month to write. I hope you guys enjoy it.
> 
> Also, as an extra bit of news to spice this all up. THIS is a standalone. But at some point in the future, i'll be adding a Part 2 that features our favorite time controlling cowgirl.
> 
> Have a nice day! And please leave a comment!


End file.
